|
Issue Date: November 18, 2001
Ladders and lights, done right
Don't take
foolish chances. Here's how to decorate safely
this holiday season.
AS THE HOLIDAYS NEAR, we scramble to buy gifts, decorate the house and plan get-togethers. But in the rush, many of us abandon our sense of safety. Who among us, for instance, hasn't stood on tiptoes on top of a rickety ladder to hang lights? Or strung strand after strand together until we've created a fire hazard?
This season, I'd like to help everyone be a little safer around the home. Let's start with ladders, which pose the greatest risk of all, especially as we hang lights and decorations inside and out. The American Ladder Institute estimates that last year there were 171,000 ladder-related accidents - an astounding number. We're just not careful enough. We often think nothing of using old relics that have been handed down to us from our parents, broken rungs and all.
It's time to end this foolishness:
 Position extension ladders correctly. For stability, an extension ladder must be planted with its feet one-quarter of its extended length away from the house. This is not tricky to calculate. If you have a 12-foot ladder, position it 3 feet away from the house.
Don't hold a ladder upright as you move it (a maneuver best saved for the clowns at the circus). You could easily lose control. Lower the ladder and carry it parallel to the ground.
Be sure the bottom of the ladder rests on a level surface.
OK, so now you won't end up as a Ladder Institute statistic - but don't celebrate with the eggnog just yet. We still have the lighting issue to address. The key is not to overload an electrical socket, especially if you have only a single outdoor outlet to power a dozen strings of lights and a few spotlights. Try that, and the result will be more like the Fourth of July than Christmas, as sparks and smoke fill the night sky. To do things right:
Follow the instructions on the strands of lights. They will tell you how many can be connected together and plugged in to a single outlet - typically two or three, not 10 or 12.
Make sure outdoor lights are plugged into a GFCI receptacle. That's the one with the reset button in the center for safety. If you don't have one, have the outlet replaced or buy a "plug-in" adapter to protect against electrocution if there's a short circuit.
One other thing: Be careful with lighted candles. Don't put them near combustibles, such as that evergreen spray centerpiece on the dining table. And, yes, remember to blow them out when the party's over. As a reminder, my wife and I set the oven timer to go off about when we think the party will have ended. W
Lou Manfredini is radio's "Ask Mr. Fix-it" and a regular contributor
to NBC's Today show. Submit questions for him at usaweekend.com.
|
